Steong



Dec. 22, 1925. 1,566,572

H. J. ARMSTRONG SPACER FOR DIPPER HANDLES Filed Oct. 1925 gnaw :EI'EIIIIIM Ar, AT mR/wk Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE HARLEY J. ARMSTRONG,' or SEATTLE,- wasirmeron, 'ASSIGNOR To THE JVIARION.

STEAM sHovELooMPaNY, or MARION, time, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SPACEB'FOR DIPPER HaNnLEs.

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLEY J. ARM:

STRONG, a citizen of the United States,'resid ingat Seattle, in the county of King and 5 State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spacers for Dipper Handles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to spacers for dipper handles and the like and is designed more particularly for use with the dipper handles of power operated shovels.

In power operated shovels as usually constructed the boom is comprised of two members spaced apart toform an opening or guideway through which theidipper handle extends and in which it has both longitudinal and swinging movement. 'The dipper handle is formed of two parallel members or bars which are spaced apart throughout their entire length except for a short dis-- tance at the forward end of the handle where they are connected together by a spacer block rigidly mounted between them.

As a result of this construction any lateral thrust imposed upon the handle will force one handle member against the adjacentboom member and the pressure will tend to 30 bend or spring the handle member inwardly at its point of contact with the boom and to correspondingly displace the rearward end of the handle member outwardly. In the course of time repeated side thrusts of as to render it practicallyinoperative.

One object of the present invention is to construction and which can be easily applied to the boom and dipper handle.

Other objects of the invention will appear,

as the device is described in detail.

a dipper handle '2 which also consists of this kind will so distort the dipper handle will be very simple and inexpensive in its Application filed October 1, 1925. Serial No. 59,901.

In the accompanyingdrawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, ofport-ions of the boom,-dipperhandle and dipper; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken awayf' of portions of the boom and dipper handle with the spacer in an inoperative position Big. 3* is a plan view of a portion of the dipper'handle and spacer; and Fig. 4 is a ppansyerse section taken on the line 44 of 1g. v I

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodlment of my invention and'have shown the same as applied to a boom and dipper handle of a well knownconstruction but it will be understood that this embodiment lras been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the invention may take varlous forms and may be applied to booms and dipper handles of various kinds.

As here shown the boom I'comprises two v I parallel side members which "are spaced apart to provide an opening or guideway between them, fora portion oftheir length. Extending through-this opening in the boom two'sidemembers .or barswhich are spaced apart for substantially their full length and on the forward end of which is mounted the excavating dipper The forward portions of the two handle members are connected one tothe other by a spacer block 4 whichis rigidly secured in a 'position between them but which is of relatively short length. The two handle'niembers are provided on their lower edges with toothed racks 5 which mesh with pinions '6 on a shipper shaft 7 mounted on the boom and rotated l by a-crowding motor or engine, not here shown, thus im parting longitudinal movement to the dip-' per handle. The racks are held in mesh' with the pinions by means of a yoke carried by the boom and here shown as a standard 8 mounted on the shaft 6, extending upwardly between the two handle members and providedfion its upper end with a transverse portion or head 9, the lateral portionsof 1 members- H v To prevent the distortion of'the handle members by lateral strains to which they maybe subjected I interpo'se between those portions ofthe handle memberswhi'chlie' between the boom members and spacerwhich is hel-d'against movement with the handle which overlap the upper edges of the handle so that it will lie between the handle mem per handle.

bers within the boom in practically all posi tions of the handle, and which is of such .a character that the lateral thrust imposed upon one handle member will be transmitted through the spacer to the other handle member and to theboom member with which the last mentioned handle member is in contact, thus positively preventing the distortion of the handle members. spacer is in the form of an elongated block 10 which is provided at its rear end with pivot lugs 11 embracinga pivot lug 12 car ried by the head :9 of the yoke and which are connected thereto by'ineans of a pivotpin 13. .This block is of such a width that it will fit snugly between the handle menr bers and it may extend forwardly between the b00111 members any desired distance which will not interfere with the operation of the handle. In the present instance, it projects forwardly a little more than half the width of the boom. lhe forward end of the spacer block is provided with a part to engage the handle and limit the downward movement of the blockand thus sup port the same between the handle members. In the device here shown, the forward end of the spacer is provided with laterally extending lugs 14 which rest upon the ripper edges of the handle members. The forward edge of the spacer block is preferably curved, as shown at 15, after the :manner of a sled runner, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The spacer block may be of any suitable material and construction and it is here shown as a steel cast-in-g'co-red out for thesake of lightness and having transverse ribs or partitions 16 to rigidly brace the side walls thereof one against the other and thus provide the necessary strength.

It will be apparent, therefore, that the spacer block W 1 be supported between those portions of the handle members which lie within the boom in practically .all positions of the {dipper handle. However, when the dipper handle is retracted to "the limit of its rearward movement the spacer block 4 at the forward end thereof will enter the space between the boom members and in doing so will engage the carved forward end of the spacer to anove the isamenp wardl-y about its axis and out of the path of the spacer block 4, thus avoiding any interference with the movement of the cliplvllhen the handle is again moved- :Eorwandly the spacer 10 will move by gravity into its position between the handle members. Should the operator perna-it :the handle to spring downwardly and rearwardly to a position beyond its vertical center the spacer will hang in a vertical position and the dipper handle will move away from the same but this is unimportant as here shown, this 'modifications may occur to a person skilled assume its position between the handle members.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be nnderstood that I do not desire to be limited .to the details thereof as various in the art.

Having now any described my invention, at at I claim as new and desire to sci care by Letters Patent, is: i

1. In a mechanism of the character descnibed, the combination with a boom conr prising two members spaced apart, and a dipper handle en-tending between said boom members, capable of longitudinal movement and comprising two members spaced apart, of a spacer interposed between those portions of the handle members which liebetween the two boom members and held againstmovement with said handle.

In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a boom con-r prising two members spaced apart, and a dipper handle extending between said boom men'i-bcrs, [capable of longitudinal movement and comprising two members spaced apart, of a spacer carried by said boom and extending between those portions of said handle iii-embers which lie between said boom memere.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a boom comprising two members spaced apart, andfia dipper handle extending between said boom members, capable of longitudinal movement and comprising two members spaced apart, of a spacer movably nppo-rted on said boom and normally extending between those portions of said handle members which lie be tween said boom members.

In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a boom com prising two members spaced apart, and a dipper handle era-tending between said boom members, capable of longitudinal movement and comprising two members spaced apart, of a spacer pivotally supported on said boon-1, arranged to extendbetween those portions of said handle members which lie between said boom members and having a part to engage said handle and support said spacer between the handle members.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a boom com prising two Members spaced apart, and a dipper handle extending between said boom members, capable of longitudinal movement and comprising two members spaced apart, of a spacer pivotally supported on said boom, extending normally between those portions of said handle members which lie between said boom members and having its forward end curved.

6. In a mechanism oft-he character described, the combination with a boom comprising two members spaced apart, and a dipper handle extending between said boom members, capable of longitudinal movement and comprising two members spaced apart, and having a spacing block rigidly mounted between the forward portions thereof, of" a spacer pivotally supported at'its rear end on said boom, extending, normally between those portions of the handle members which lie between said boom members and havin its forward end curved, whereby when said dipper handle is fully retracted the spacer block at the forward end of said handle will engage said pivoted spacer and move the same out of its path.

7 .In a mechanism of the character dewhich lie between the boom members and provided at its forward end with laterally extending lu s to engage the upper edges of said hand e members and support said spacer between said members;

8. In' a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a boom com-' by said shaft and meshingwithsaid toothed racks to impart longitudinal movement to said handle, and a yoke carried by said boom, extending between said handle members and having at its upper endportions I overlying the respective handlemembers to retain said racks in mesh with said pinions, of a spacer block pivotally mounted on said yoke, extending forwardly therefromlbe tween said handle -members' and having means for engaging said handlemembers to limit the downward movement thereof about its axis. Y In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

HARLEY J. ARMSTRONG. 

